


Three Times Link Kept Something from Rhett

by shinnyluvssuju



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: A little angst, M/M, Slice of Life, a little fluff, a little smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-13
Updated: 2020-11-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:48:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27537829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shinnyluvssuju/pseuds/shinnyluvssuju
Summary: They insist they tell each other everything. But Link is only human.
Relationships: Rhett McLaughlin/Link Neal
Comments: 8
Kudos: 55





	Three Times Link Kept Something from Rhett

**Author's Note:**

> i have fallen hard and fast for these boys so expect more. I hope the fact that this story jumps around in time isn't confusing. Follow me on tumblr @riverfetus or instagram @wetcowboyboot and let me know what you think. 
> 
> xoxo Sam

I.

“Rhett!” Link yells, pulling apart the couch cushions and moving decorative blankets and pillows in his best friend’s living room. “Rhett, I still can’t find it!” Oddly Link doesn’t get a response. He quirks an eyebrow and looks around the house in confusion. “Rhett?” It wouldn’t be unusual for Rhett to have gotten so frustrated that he just went to go sit in the car, so Link doesn’t think much of it. He keeps ripping apart Rhett’s living room. 

This is taking much longer than Link had originally anticipated. They were ready to walk out the door a whole half hour ago, but everything was put on hold when Rhett lost his phone like he loses almost everything else. He’s pretty sure he’s looked through the entire living room, so he thinks back to where they may not have looked. Rhett insisted that he’d tried his bedroom and it wasn’t there but Link doesn’t necessarily trust that Rhett had searched to the best of his ability. He walks down the hallway, anxiety building in his stomach as each second passes making them more and more late. 

All of Jesse’s stuff is on the left side of the room, so Link turns his attention to the right. It’s not on Rhett’s dresser, or his bedside table. If he was a missing phone, where would he be? Maybe it fell and was laying in the crevice between the bed and the table. That’s where Link often finds his glasses when he falls asleep with them on. He kneels down and sure enough there it is, face down on the carpet. Finally. With a sigh of relief Link grabs it. He turns it on to look at the time, but something else catches his eye. 

It’s a text from Adam, a mutual friend of theirs from back in the day in Buies Creek. Link smiles. It’s been a while since he’d spoken to Adam, and even longer since he’d seen him. He makes a mental note to text Adam himself, and opens the message so he can copy Adam’s number and send it to his own phone. The full conversation pops into view, and it catches Link’s eye. He can’t help but snoop a little. 

**_Adam Leer_ **

_ I know this must be bothering you so let’s talk about it when you’ve got some time tonight. I get off work at 6 so gimme a call anytime after that  _

Link is a little annoyed. Rhett has clearly been off lately, but hasn’t given anything away when Link tries to ask what’s wrong. Why would Rhett confide in Adam and not him? This is weird. He scrolls up for a little more context to this conversation. 

**_Rhett_ **

_ I can’t help it I’m just too self conscious for my own good. I know it shouldn’t matter but I keep worrying what everyone would think of me if they knew. Especially my family  _

**_Adam_ **

_ Listen I totally get it. It’s a real fear. But at the end of the day the people that really matter will stick around no matter what  _

**_Rhett_ **

_ I guess I just put the needs of everyone else before myself. I’ve been okay with lying for so long just to keep everyone happy  _

**_Adam_ **

_ But don’t you deserve to be happy?  _

**_Rhett_ **

_ I am happy _

**_Adam_ **

_ Take it from someone whose lived it Rhett. You might think you’re happy now but sooner or later it’s gonna eat you up inside until you’re hollow. It’s not healthy  _

**_Rhett_ **

_ And that’s why I feel like such a hypocrite. I’m doing all these things to learn about myself and be the best and healthiest person I can be for everyone but I’m just so stuck on this. I guess because the stakes are so high yknow? I could lose so much _

**_Adam_ **

_ But think about what you’ll gain  _

Link’s heart is beating painfully in his chest. He’s starting to feel horrible for snooping on something that’s obviously very serious and personal to Rhett. He turns off the phone, shoves it in his pocket, and meets Rhett in the car. 

“You found it!” Rhett says when Link gets in the passenger seat and hands it to him. “You’re the best.” 

Link’s mind is swimming with a thousand thoughts. In lieu of a response he turns the radio up loud in an attempt to drown it all out. Rhett doesn’t notice his discomfort, or if he does he doesn’t make it known. He just whistles along to the music and keeps his eyes on the road. 

Rhett veers off their usual route to the studio. “Where are we going?” Link asks. 

“I just gotta stop at the bank. You don’t mind, do ya?” 

“Not at all, do whatever you have to do.” Rhett smiles. 

They pull into a shopping center. “There’s a Starbucks a few stores down, want me to grab us coffee?” 

“We’re so late already, though.” 

“We’re the bosses. We can be.” 

“You do have a point. Sure, I’ll have coffee.” 

“Be right back,” Rhett says. He doesn’t even ask what Link wants, because he already knows. 

Now encapsulated in the silence of the car, Link is overwhelmed again by what he’d read on Rhett’s phone. What the hell was he talking about with Adam? His mind goes through endless possibilities but he can’t quite land on any of them. He starts to bite his thumb nail in frustration, and that’s when he sees it; Rhett left his phone in the cupholder. 

Link is angry at himself for even considering it. Is he really about to look through Rhett’s phone like some jealous, nosey girlfriend? Rhett would never do that to him. Link wouldn’t even do that to his own wife, yet he feels so compelled to know what’s going on that he pushes his better judgement aside, turns on Rhett’s phone and continues reading the messages. He scrolls up to earlier in the exchange. 

**_Rhett_ **

_ Can I ask you a sort of personal question? If you don’t wanna talk about it though that’s fine  _

**_Adam_ **

_ Go for it  _

**_Rhett_ **

_ I know it’s something that you always are but like when did you realize it and like come to terms with it  _

**_Adam_ **

_ High school age. Puberty does a lot to ya haha  _

_ Why do you ask? _

_ Have you been having thoughts like that?  _

**_Rhett_ **

_ Maybe. Hypothetically  _

**_Adam_ **

_ And hypothetically does Link have something to do with it?  _

**_Rhett_ **

_ Oh god is it that obvious  _

**_Adam_ **

_ Bro if you’re just now realizing that you have a thing for Link you’re about 30 years later than the rest of us to this party  _

_ No offense  _

**_Rhett_ **

_ Ugh _

**_Adam_ **

_ Don’t worry, everyone knew it about me before I did too  _

**_Rhett_ **

_ Fuck what do I do man  _

Link abruptly shuts off the phone and practically throws it back in the cupholder. For the duration of Rhett’s absence he bites his lip so hard that it hurts, not knowing what else to do other than attempt to process what he’s just learned. 

Rhett comes back with two cups of coffee and hands Link his. “What’s up?” he asks. “You look like you just saw a friggin ghost.” 

Link knows what he has to say, how he has to respond to all of this. 

“Nothin’, man. Now hurry up, we godda get to the studio.” 

  
  
  


II.

Rhett and Link really had waited until they were of legal drinking age to actually drink. Well, technically that wasn’t true, because there was that time where they made their own bootleg alcohol and drank as much as they could without throwing up in the woods, but that was it. Once they turned twenty-one during their senior year of college at North Carolina State, they had a lot of years of drinking to catch up on. 

Link emerges from their classmate’s bathroom, stumbling a little and wiping excess vomit from his mouth as discreetly as he can. He knows Rhett is gonna make fun of him for not being able to hold his liquor even though that’s absolutely true. This is confirmed when he finds his place next to Rhett again. 

“Oh shit man, did you yak?” he asks, too amused for Link’s liking. 

“Shut up,” he mumbles. “Can we go back to the dorm? I’m exhausted.”

Rhett laughs and looks at his watch. “Yeah, I guess I’ve had enough party for one night. Let’s get out of here.” 

Link keeps tripping over his own feet as they walk back to campus, and every single time Rhett finds it absolutely hysterical. Link wants to be mad, but Rhett’s laughter is contagious. “Knock it off!” Link giggles, holding onto his more sturdy friend for support. Rhett holds him steady for the rest of their walk. It’s slightly more challenging getting Link up two flights of stairs, but they manage it. 

Link collapses onto his bed. “Did I tell you about Jen?” 

Rhett grabs a bottle of water from their fridge and drinks half of it in one go. “Yes, you’ve told me about your girlfriend Jen many times.” 

“No no, like, what  _ happened  _ with Jen yesterday.”

“No you did not.” Rhett starts undressing and changing into comfortable clothes. “What happened?” 

“So like…” Link props himself up on one elbow and faces Rhett. “We were messing around and stuff, and she like… tried to put a finger in my ass, man! Without even telling me!”

Rhett nearly spits out his water and is breathless with laughter. “What? That’s insane!” 

“I know! But she keeps trying to convince me to let her, man! What am I supposed to say to that? I mean, I wanna get laid, but at what cost?” 

It takes Rhett about thirty more seconds of wheezing laughter before he can muster up a response. “God, I mean, maybe just let her man! How bad could it be?” 

“What do you mean let her?!” Link laughs. “Dude, that’s gross! Besides, she can do a thousand other things to me instead!” 

“A thousand, huh? And none of those things involve your butt?” 

Link just laughs at him in disbelief. “As if you’d let a girl do that to you.” 

“Listen, nothing’s off the table here, my friend. Live a little.” 

“You wouldn’t be sayin’ that sober!” Link accuses. 

“Eh, maybe, maybe not.” Rhett smirks and gets comfortable in bed. There’s silence for a while, and Rhett thinks maybe Link has fallen asleep, but the liquid courage has inspired him to be a little stupid. “You still awake?” 

“Mhm.” 

“You know I could maybe… eh, forget it.” 

Link’s interest is piqued. “What?”

Rhett pauses for a moment. “You still really drunk?” 

“Yeah, unfortunately. Are you?”

“Yeah…”

Link’s getting annoyed. “So you could maybe what?” 

Rhett decides that Link will most likely remember none of this in the morning, so he allows himself to proceed. “I could help you practice that thing Jen wants you to let her do.” 

“Huh? What are you talking about?” 

“You know, just so you’re ready when you wanna let her do it. If you practice first, you won’t be so nervous.” 

“So what are you saying?” Link asks reluctantly. 

“Do I have to spell it out for you? You can practice with me. That way it won’t be so weird.” Rhett is not only attempting to convince Link but also himself, and it’s not going that well. 

Link sits up with some difficulty. “Are you serious?” 

“Sure.” 

Link has no idea what’s going on, and if this is something he’s imagining or if it’s really happening. Nevertheless, he tries to be logical. “Okay, but… technically wouldn’t that be cheating on Jen?”

“No!” Rhett exclaims as if that’s the most ludicrous idea he’d ever heard. “It’s not romantic. It’s just me. And it’s to make it better for Jen, so I don’t see a problem.” 

Link isn’t so sure that that’s how all this works, but he chooses to move past it. “Aside from that, wouldn’t it be like morally wrong?”

“In theory, yes,” Rhett says. “But we wouldn’t be doing it for our own pleasure or lustful reasons. It’s all about the intent.” 

Link shoots him a questioning glance. “Does God actually care about the intent, though?”

“I’d say so. He’s all knowing.”

Link is exasperated. He’s wondering if a normal person would even consider what Rhett is proposing. In some mixed up convoluted way Rhett has a point. It might give him an advantage with Jen to be slightly prepared. On the other hand, they would be participating in something that they actively preach against. They would be violating a cornerstone of the institution they both dedicate their lives to. Then it hits him-- the fact that he’s even trying to rationalize this means that it must be something he’s willing to do. The alcohol is giving him help in releasing his inhibitions, and his dick makes a choice before his brain can. 

“Okay, maybe you’re right,” Link says. Then Rhett is getting up to go sit with Link on his bed, and it completely startles him. “Woah, you wanna do this now?” 

Rhett shrugs. “Why not?” 

Link flounders there for a minute at a complete loss for words, but eventually just gives in. “Alright, then. Um… how do you wanna do this?”

“Well, we’ve got to make the scenario realistic. So I’m gonna act like I’m Jen, and you just treat me how you treat her.” 

“Got it,” Link gulps. Not awkward at all.

“What are you waiting for? Lean in and kiss me. I’m the girl so I’m just gonna be here waitin’ for you to make a move.” Rhett shuts his eyes. 

“I gotta  _ kiss  _ you?” Link sputters. 

“Yes! Realism!” Link grumbles and Rhett just rolls his eyes. “You’ll thank me later.”

Link rubs his sweaty palms on his pants and takes a deep breath.  _ This isn’t Rhett,  _ he reminds himself.  _ This is Jen.  _ Eyes closed he hesitantly leans forward. Their lips touch, and Rhett leans in with surprising gentleness. He places a hand on Link’s neck who jumps, but gradually eases into it. It feels so wrong to be doing this but that almost makes it more exciting. Everything about Rhett is foreign to him, which is weird because he’s pretty sure he knows just about everything there is to know about his best friend. Everything except this. 

Rhett’s hands begin to wander and it sets off alarm bells in Link’s mind. He jerks away suddenly and whispers, “Maybe we shouldn’t be doing this.”

“Don’t be scared,” Rhett says, almost as if he’s pleading. “It’s just me.” He kisses down Link’s neck, and it feels too good to pull away. He relaxes again in Rhett’s touch, and doesn’t protest this time when Rhett’s hand runs up his thigh and rests just too close to the erection he can’t deny having. Every time Rhett’s face brushes against his neck he’s slightly scratched by light stubble, and it’s weird but fantastic at the same time. 

“You can take off my pants,” Link blurts out quickly. Rhett wastes no time undressing him, as if this is a dream that will dissipate too soon. Maybe it is. Rhett pulls off his own shirt and kisses sloppily down Link’s chest. It occurs to him then that perhaps the original intent of this interaction had been lost. 

The next morning comes hard and fast. Link’s head is pounding as he rubs his eyes and comes back to life. He takes a deep breath and is immediately hit with the scent of Rhett’s cologne. Sure enough asleep at his side is his best friend. Last night’s events come rushing back, and Link lets out an audible, “Holy crap.” 

This causes Rhett to stir, and Link watches in stunned silence as the other boy wakes up. Their eyes meet and Rhett smiles, but then his expression turns to one of concern. “Do you remember falling asleep together?” Rhett asks quickly in a voice raspy from sleep. 

“No,” Link answers automatically. 

Rhett runs a hand through his hair anxiously. “What happened last night?” 

“I don’t remember.” 

Rhett starts to get out of Link’s bed and back into his own. “It was probably nothing, right?” he asks. 

“Probably. Go back to sleep,” Link says, despite the pain it causes him to do so. 

Link never tells Rhett that he remembers everything that happened. He doesn’t tell Rhett that he was a little less drunk than he lead on to be. He doesn’t tell Rhett that being so close to him felt like a revelation. 

He surely doesn’t tell Rhett that once he’s certain his friend is asleep, he cries silent tears into his pillow. 

  
  


III.

It’s early morning when Link wakes up to Rhett getting his things together to leave. He knows that Rhett has to leave early for basketball practice, but he still hates to see him go so soon. “Morning, Rhett,” Link croaks out. Rhett looks at him from across the darkened room and smiles. 

“Hey bo, didn’t wanna wake you.” 

“You know I like to say goodbye.” 

“I do know. But you looked so peaceful.” Rhett’s fully dressed and has his backpack slung over his shoulder, ready to be picked up by his dad. He walks over and kneels by the bed. “I’ll see you later.” 

“See you later,” Link smiles. Rhett brushes Link’s hair out of his forehead gently and places a small kiss on his temple. Link stares at him in awe, but Rhett just laughs and walks out the door. 

Once he hears his front door close, Link bolts out of bed. He paces around the room for a minute, then decides he needs a glass of water. He walks to the kitchen as quietly as he can and fills a glass with tap water. He brings the cup to his lips and only then does he notice that his hands are shaking. 

He puts the glass down and stares out his kitchen window, the glow of the rising sun turning the whole room golden. It’s beautiful, and suddenly he’s crying. Little tears turn to big ugly cries and he sits at the kitchen table with his head in his hands to muffle the sound. He clearly wasn’t doing a good enough job, because he hears his mother’s bedroom door creak open and her light footsteps approach him. He wants to act like nothing is wrong, but he can’t. 

“Honey!” she exclaims as she puts her hands on his shoulders. “Honey, what is it? What happened?” 

Link can’t face her. “N-nothing,” he tries, but his mother isn’t buying it. 

“Look at me, sweetheart.” Link reveals his tear stained face to her and she makes a noise of concern. “Why are you crying?” 

“I don’t know,” he sobs. “Rhett, he-- ugh.” Link stares at the ground in shame and just lets the crying come. It feels too powerful to control. 

“What about Rhett? Did you two get in a fight or somethin’?” 

“No,” Link says. He wishes that they had. It would make this conversation a whole lot easier to explain. 

“Then what’s going on?” 

Link’s chest is heaving. “I-- I can’t,” is all he can manage to say before bursting into sobs again. 

“Listen to me,” his mother says, grabbing his face gently and making her son look her in the eyes. “You are my one and only baby. I love you, and there ain’t nothin’ in this world you can’t tell me. Whatever’s wrong, we fix it together, right?” Link nods through his tears. “Now what is going on?” 

“I love him, mamma,” he sobs out, pulling her into a hug to hide his face. “I’m so sorry.” 

“Baby…” 

“What am I gonna do, mamma?” He’s never felt more like a defenseless child, hiding behind his mother and expecting that she’ll know what to do because she’s the adult. He holds her tightly, because if she walked away from him, he would have nothing. 

“I don’t know,” she says, her own voice breaking. She holds him just as tight. “But I’m right here. I’ve got you.” 

They both cry for what feels like hours. When Link completely exhausts himself, she wipes his face with a tissue. 

“I’ve got to get ready for work, now,” she says, collecting herself as much as possible. “It’s still early, why don’t you get some more rest.” 

He sniffles. “Okay, mamma.” He gets up to go back to his bedroom, but his mother calls his name. He turns around. 

“I love you so much,” she says. “Whatever love comes and goes in your life, you’ve always got mine.” 

Link could honestly cry again, but he smiles. “Hey, I told you that.” 

“You did, and it’s very wise.” 

Link and his mother never bring up the conversation again. It’s enough to know that even if things are messed up, at least they’ve got each other. The next time Rhett sleeps over, he tells him, “You better say goodbye to me before you leave from now on.” 


End file.
